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Milk Programme Suspended In Kelantan and Kedah |
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Written by Zulkifli Abd Rahman
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Thursday, 09 August 2007 |
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Page 1 of 3
 KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has suspended indefinitely the school milk programme in Kelantan and Kedah following cases of food poisoning at two schools there.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim said investigations were under way to ascertain the cause of the poisoning on Monday.
The milk programme in other states would continue as usual, he added.
“Personally, I don’t understand how it could have happened.
“I will meet officials from the Health Ministry to discuss this,” Hon said in an interview.
It was reported yesterday that 57 schoolchildren from Years One, Four, Five and Six of SK Beris Panchor in Bachok, Kelantan, were sent to the clinic due to stomach ache and vomiting after consuming milk during breakfast.
Over at SK Seberang Ketil in Kupang, Baling, Kedah, 60 pupils also received treatment on Monday when they had similar problems after drinking milk provided under the programme.
The school milk supply programme, introduced nationwide in 1983, was temporarily discontinued on May 22 after 35% of the milk supplies to Penang, Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Pahang and Terengganu was contaminated with bacteria, and restored on July 16.
Hon said the milk supplies had been thoroughly tested by Sirim to ensure that they did not contain bacteria.
“The milk will also undergo the UHT (ultra heat treatment) process to sterilise it before being packed in cartons.
“Three factories supply the milk to all the schools involved in the milk programme and the process is monitored for cleanliness and health,” he added.
Kelantan Health deputy director (Public Health) Dr Lila P. Mohd Meeran had said that tests conducted on the milk, which was to expire next January, found contamination.
Earlier this month, Hon had said that 19 food poisoning cases had occurred in schools over the last six months.
Source : The Star.com
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